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Read ongoing updates in the trial of Sean "Diddy" Combs.
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The highly anticipated trial of hip-hop mogul Sean "Diddy" Combs has reached an end.
The jury found Sean Combs not guilty of racketeering conspiracy, the most serious charge.
The jury found Combs guilty of transportation to engage in prostitution (in connection with his ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura) and guilty of transportation to engage in prostitution (in connection with his ex-girlfriend who testified under the pseudonym "Jane").
He was found not guilty of both charges of sex trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion in connection with Ventura and "Jane."
Combs was accused of being the ringleader of an alleged enterprise that "abused, threatened and coerced women" into prolonged, drug-fueled sexual orgies with male prostitutes, which he called "freak-offs," and then threatened them into silence. Combs has said that all of the sex was consensual and that while his relationships sometimes involved domestic violence, he wasn't engaged in trafficking.
Combs' lawyer, Marc Agnifilo, said Combs was simply part of the swinger lifestyle and that he "vehemently denies the accusations made by the SDNY."
The attorney for Cassie Ventura, Sean Combs' ex-girlfriend and a witness in the case, said in a statement, “Although the jury did not find Combs guilty of sex trafficking Cassie beyond a reasonable doubt, she paved the way for a jury to find him guilty of transportation to engage in prostitution.”
“By coming forward with her experience, Cassie has left an indelible mark on both the entertainment industry and the fight for justice,” attorney Douglas Wigdor said.
“We believe and support our client who showed exemplary courage throughout this trial. She displayed unquestionable strength and brought attention to the realities of powerful men in our orbit and the misconduct that has persisted for decades without repercussion,” he said. “This case proved that change is long overdue, and we will continue to fight on behalf of survivors."
Wigdor said outside court that Ventura is “pleased that he's found guilty and held responsible to federal crimes, something that he's never been held responsible in his entire life. She's happy.”
“I feel confident in saying he still faces substantial incarceration,” Wigdor added.
Following comments from Sean Combs' large defense team, attorney Marc Agnifilo said they will not be talking about the bail decision because it's still a "pending, unresolved matter."
"The one thing I'm going to leave with this we are not nearly done fighting. We are just getting started," he said. "To win this and to defeat the prosecutors from the Southern District of New York takes effort from beginning to end."
"Today was a major, major step in the right direction. But we fight on and we're going to win and we're not going to stop until he walks out of prison a free man to his family," he continued.
Sean Combs' defense attorney, Marc Agnifilo, told reporters today is a "great day" while speaking outside the courthouse following the bail hearing.
"Today is a win," Agnifilo said. "Today is a victory of all victories for Sean Combs."
Agnifilo said the jury was "wonderful."
"They listened to every word, and they got the situation right, or certainly right enough," he said. "They acquitted him of the sex trafficking, which he was absolutely innocent of. They acquitted him of the racketeering conspiracy that he was absolutely innocent of."
After defense attorneys asked for a more expedited sentencing, U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian agreed to move up the sentencing date from October. He did not set a new date for the sentencing itself.
For now, he set a remote conference for July 8 at 2 p.m. to hear arguments about next steps for pre-sentence process, including Combs' interview with the court's probation department.
U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian again denied the request to release Combs.
Sean Combs briefly tried to raise his hand to speak in court. The judge seemed to ignore the move and instead asked Assistant United States Attorney Maurene Comey to respond to the defense arguments.
"He is extremely violent with an extraordinary temper who has shown no remorse and no regret," said Comey. "His brazenness is unmatched."
The attorney for Cassie Ventura, Sean Combs' ex-girlfriend and a witness in the case, said in a statement, “Although the jury did not find Combs guilty of sex trafficking Cassie beyond a reasonable doubt, she paved the way for a jury to find him guilty of transportation to engage in prostitution.”
“By coming forward with her experience, Cassie has left an indelible mark on both the entertainment industry and the fight for justice,” attorney Douglas Wigdor said.
“We believe and support our client who showed exemplary courage throughout this trial. She displayed unquestionable strength and brought attention to the realities of powerful men in our orbit and the misconduct that has persisted for decades without repercussion,” he said. “This case proved that change is long overdue, and we will continue to fight on behalf of survivors."
Wigdor said outside court that Ventura is “pleased that he's found guilty and held responsible to federal crimes, something that he's never been held responsible in his entire life. She's happy.”
“I feel confident in saying he still faces substantial incarceration,” Wigdor added.
